Online and Organized – Let the Web Help You Stay on Track

By Sarah Klein

Being an Online Mom is a balancing act. You juggle work and home life, time with your kids, time with your friends, and even time on your BlackBerry, all while trying to appear organized and in control. There are barely enough hours in the day to get everything done, even without factoring in all the little things that pop up to sabotage free time.

Luckily, the web features many helpful time management sites that understand this problem too. Their goal is to help you stay organized and productive, even when you are at your busiest. Here are some of our favorites:

Google Calendar – Google rules when it comes to communication and organization. (Does anyone not use Gmail?) The calendar, with daily, weekly, and monthly views, allows you to schedule meetings, events, phone calls, and even car pools all in one place. You can program e-mail reminders about your schedule and even add guest e-mails to nudge others as well. Google Calendar provides templates to add important dates to your own, like religious holidays, movie openings, or professional sports games.

RememberTheMilk – This time-management tool keeps you organized via email, text, instant messenger, and even Skype. You can add reminders and tasks by sending an e-mail from your computer or a web-enabled phone. Once you’ve created your lists and notes, you can share them with your contacts. You can prioritize items on your lists, as well as map out the locations for events or meetings. It’s also available as an application for the iPhone or iTouch.

MySnoozester – With plans as low as $3.99 a month, this site delivers scheduled wake-up calls to any phone. Choose a character to deliver the call, and then play around with the optional settings, like the snooze feature or SecureAwake, which will call you multiple times until verifying you are awake. Ideal for the teen or college kid that has to make that class on time!

Jott – If you remember an important item for your to-do list and you don’t have Internet access, just call Jott. For a small monthly fee, the service will e-mail or text a transcribed note of your voice from any U.S. phone. You can use it to schedule appointments, leave reminders, or even send e-mails to people on your contact list. Jott can send notes to most social networking sites and is compatible with many other online list and calendar services.